Kahler honored tonight with award

Published 11:38 am, Monday, April 25, 2016

Lee Kahler of Bad Axe will be presented the award and then preside over the 33rd running of the venerable track and field event, which is held at Caro's Stamats Field. Field events get underway at 3 p.m., with opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. and running events following at 6:30 p.m.

Admission is $4 and includes a full-color, 48-page program.

As the Thumb Sports Leader, Kahler will ignite the flame that opens the meet and will present Athlete of the Meet Awards to the top male and female athletes at the conclusion of the meet.

Kahler became a Bad Axe Hatchet in 1967 leaving behind the Davison Cardinals where he had started his teaching career in 1964 after graduation from Michigan State University.

While at Davison, he had taught science at the junior high and also started his coaching career with the junior high football and track and field programs.

When he came to Bad Axe, he taught biology and advanced biology, along with an occasional general science class. He also continued his coaching of junior high track and field but moved to assistant varsity coach in football. In 1972 he became the assistant varsity track coach, and he continued coaching in these positions until 1979 when he took over as varsity coach in both sports and also started a wrestling program  an endeavor he would continue for several years.

Kahler remained the football coach until 1984 when he left that job and started in cross country. He remains the head track and field and cross country coach of the Hatchets.

From 1985 to 1990, Kahler was privileged to coach his two sons in track and field. The oldest, Marty, competed as a runner, hurdler and in the discus and shot put. His youngest, Phil, competed as a shot putter and discus thrower.

This years honored Sports Leader has also been very active in the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association (MITCA), serving on both the track and field and cross country committees several times. He also served as secretary, first vice president, second vice president and president from 1996 to 1999.

Kahler has been the recipient of many awards during his teaching and coaching career. He was selected in 1973 as the outstanding young educator by the Bad Axe Jaycees, and in 1989 The Bad Axe Board of Education chose him as the schools educator of the year.

In 2000, he was named by MITCA as the Sweeney Award winner for the state of Michigan in track and field, and in 2005 he was inducted into the Michigan Track Coaches Hall of Fame.

Previously, he was selected as the Friend of Youth for the Bad Axe schools for the Thumb Meet of Champs.

Despite his busy personal and professional life, Kahler has found time to serve in many positions for the conferences that Bad Axe has been in and also on the Board of Directors for the Meet of Champs. He was secretary of the Thumb B Conference, Blue Bay Conference, and Greater Thumb Conference from 1985 to 2004.

On the Meet of Champions board, he has served as chairman of the Friend of Youth Committee, has been the boys and girls qualifying times coordinator, and has also been vice president and president of the organization.

During his tenure in Bad Axe, and with the help of the schools athletic administrators and administrators, Hatchet track facilities have been greatly enhanced. Also, during this time, he has been responsible for running the Huron Daily Tribunes Meet of Champs, The Hatchet Invitational, which he originated, and many regional track and field and cross country meets, all of which have been very successful.

However, Kahler quickly offers thanks to all the parents and community volunteers who assisted with those efforts.

Having coached track and field for 41 years, I have seen many things that have impressed me regarding this sport, he said. One cant possibly understand what it feels like to see young people grow as a trackster or cross country competitor.

The feeling that you get when you see a champion crowned or when you see an individual achieve a personal goal in this sport is extremely good. Knowing that these athletes have learned along the way how to become good, hard-working citizens makes you feel great.

I can think of nothing better in life than to have watched both of my sons become excellent track and field officials. I witnessed them officiating simple dual meets all the way to college meets. Along with this it has been a great pleasure to see other former tracksters or cross country runners go on to serve as coaches.

Two of those success stories are presently working with him in the Bad Axe program.

How great it is to know that one of your own athletes has become a Big Ten champion in a track and field event, that several others have run at various college levels, and that others have competed in events such as the Boston Marathon, he said.

I have been fortunate to watch the greatest of all track and field competitions  the Olympic Games  and, as I watched the last three Olympic game competitions in person, it was so great to see these fine young athletes compete and give their all.

Kahler said that receiving the Sports Leader Award and serving as Honorary Meet Director of the Thumb Meet of Champions represents the culmination of all the fun he has had while coaching some very fine athletes in the sport of track and field.